Sports events will be held at Kai Tak at least 40 days a year

Sports events will be held at the main stadium of Kai Tak Sports Park for a significant number of days each year, according to Raistlin Lau Chun, the undersecretary for culture, sports and tourism.

In the first five years after the venue opens next year, there will be a minimum of 40 days of sports activities annually. For the next five years after, this will increase to at least 54 days.

This information was provided in response to a query by lawmaker Chan Pui-leung, who inquired whether the government will mandate park operator Kai Tak Sports Park Limited to organize large-scale events, with attendance ranging from 40,000 to 50,000, each year to ensure the financial viability of the sports park.

Lau said that the operator will assume responsibility for the venue's finances and make payments to the government.

He expressed confidence that there is ample motivation to attract more large-scale events to Hong Kong.

The park's major facilities should be completed by the end of this year.

The final testing phase for the park comes after construction, renovation and statutory inspections. If the results are satisfactory, it can open in the first half of next year. The operator is currently in the process of formulating procedures for booking venues and intends to provide priority arrangements for sports activities.

However, sports sector lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong expressed concerns that the sports community received limited information and there might not be enough activities, leading to criticisms of the park as a "white elephant."

"The government announced in 2019 that an advisory committee would be established one year prior to the park's operations, but there has been no update," he said.

In response, Lau assured that a committee will be established next season, with representatives from sports and tourism industries invited to join.

In other news, Guangzhou is set to host the opening ceremonies of the 15th National Games and 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities in November and December next year respectively, with Hong Kong co-hosting alongside Guangzhou and Macau for the first time. Guangzhou will host 40 percent of the National Games events and 30 percent of the National Games for Persons with Disabilities events, while Hong Kong is likely to host eight sports competitions.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung recently co-chaired a meeting in Guangzhou with Cui Jian, the Head of the Sports Bureau of Guangdong Province, to discuss preparatory work for the games.

"The objective was to closely collaborate with the Guangdong Provincial Government, review work progress and ensure the success of the Games, while fostering unity among various sectors of the community by deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and other regions in the Greater Bay Area."